Welcome! This is a weekly blog* by Author J.L. Metcalf where I discuss anything and everything that strikes my fancy. If you have ideas on what you think I should write about, please send me an email via my website! Or find me on Facebook at @JLMetcalfAuthorArtisan!

For now, sit back, relax and enjoy the blog!

*All views expressed in “The Female Perspective” are those of J.L. Metcalf, not Great Stories, Inc

Hello Friends!!!

This weeks blog is a day late and a bit different than the norm. I am going to be taking a bit of a break as I need to focus on other projects — Namely finishing as best I can my fourth novel, the sequel to “The Last Daughter of Lilith”!!! I have a title, FINALLY, which I will reveal when the publishing date gets a bit closer and I have AMAZING cover art done by the one, the only, Frankie B. Washington, which I will also reveal when the time is upon us.

For my last blog of 2016 (thank you Jeezus that 2016 is almost over) I wanted to end the year on a positive note. When so much is going wrong in the world it’s hard to focus on the good things and it can be even harder for those who are alone or feeling unloved to find the light in the dark. So I wanted to offer up a few New Years traditions that can maybe help start 2017 off on a positive note.

And as the legendary Leonard Cohen once said;

There Is a Crack in Everything, That’s How the Light Gets In.

Also, being perfectly imperfect is the best way to be, you’ll have way more fun that way.

New Years Traditions

A Jar Of Good Thoughts — It can be fun to get a nice jar, a nice, big jar, and place it somewhere that you cannot overlook or forget about it. Next to the jar put a small notepad or a basket of small pieces of paper. Next to that put a pen (or pens) and every time something good happens in the new year, no matter how small it seems, even if you got a new, cool pair of socks (thanks Celeste) or awesome Prince earrings (Jenny!), you write that on the paper, put it in the jar and by the end of the year you have a jar that represents every good thing that happened to you that you then read out loud with friends, or alone. Whatever suits your fancy.

A Cleansing Fire — Fire is the ultimate cleanser. It burns the just and unjust alike. It can destroy and it can be the impetus for rebuilding. It can be devastating or deadly, or it can be cleansing and forward-looking. In this case, we want the fire to represent the good that is to come and our break with anything bad in the past. Build up a nice, SAFE bonfire in your fire pit and/or fireplace or wood stove. Write down all the things (good or bad) that happened and say them to yourself (or out loud if you feel safe) and toss them into the fire. Let those thoughts, occurrences burn up and be ashes, let them be free and in turn, you’ll be free of them as well. Free to enjoy the new year lighter and freer, with an open heart.

Have a New Years Puja! — A puja, put simply, is an act of worship. I learned about it in my yoga training and it is an amazing and lovely experience. Most importantly, you don’t have to be some yoga guru to perform one. You can hold a New Years Puja right in your own home!

Importance of New Year Puja

New Year is one of the most popular occasions for the people of India. It is celebrated on 1st January, i.e. the first day of year according to solar calendar. The New Year day is very prominent for the life of a person as it is the day for new beginning leaving all the mistakes, miseries, bad habits behind and making resolutions for performing good deeds, improving oneself in every fields and achieving great success. The New Year day also holds enormous astrological significances. It is the day on which the earth begins a new revolution around the Sun. Lots of people hold puja on this day with a desire of happy and prosperous year ahead. They make new resolutions and promises in front of the god and ask for strength and blessings to fulfill those resolutions successfully.

How to do New Year Puja

The New Year Puja basically consists of offering prayers either in a temple or at the one’s house. It may also consist of other rituals like Havans, Aarti and donations. Usually, the New Year puja is accompanied by a feast among the participants. The Puja is done while focusing on wishing for prosperity and success for the participants in this New Year.

More than anything else, make New Years a day of letting go of the past and a stepping forward into a new year that is full of possibility and hope (no matter who is president). We can all get through this together. We are one, we are powerful and we are ready to face whatever comes our way with grace, sensitivity and most of all, love.

Happy 2017!!!

So tell me, how are you going to celebrate the end of 2016 and how are you going to step into 2017? Tell me in the comments below!